Trump says he may ‘take a pass’ on Russian-Ukraine peace deal

When Donald Trump was running for office, he was adamant that he wanted to secure a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible, if not before taking office.  

That has not quite worked out, but now Trump is suggesting he may pass on a peace deal altogether if Russia refuses to negotiate in good faith.  

Ukraine Ready to Deal 

Ukrainian President Zelensky has finally come to the realization that he does not have much leverage in this deal.  

He either does what we want him to do, or his aid will dry up, which means Russia steamrolls his country.  

Ukraine appears ready to sign on to a deal, with one official stating, “This coming week in London, we want to make a determination for a full and comprehensive cease-fire. The intent then is to have [discussions] with the Russians and then say, ‘OK, this is your best and final offer,’ to find out where both sides are at. 

“And once we get that, then the next steps will be determined.” 

Russia Says Progress in Peace Talks 

While frustrating both Ukraine and the United States in these negotiations, Russia is claiming that progress is being made.  

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, "Contacts are quite complicated, because, naturally, the topic is not an easy one. 

"Russia is committed to resolving this conflict, ensuring its own interests, and is open to dialogue. We continue to do this." 

Peskov later added, "We believe that some progress can already be noted. Therefore, certain developments have already been achieved, but, of course, there are still many complex discussions ahead." 

Trump Ready to Walk Away 

Trump is clearly getting frustrated by Russia, as they talk about peace, then unleash a missile attack against Ukraine. 

This is now to the point that Trump appears ready to shut talks down until Russia is serious, stating, "If for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we're just going to say 'you're foolish, you're fools, you're horrible people,' and we're going to just take a pass. But hopefully we won't have to do that." 

Secretary Rubio added, "If we're so far apart this won't happen, then the president is ready to move on.” 

I believe this is just hardball on Trump’s part because he knows he needs to get this war over, or we will continue to pour money into the defense of Ukraine, which he promised not to do. At this point, the war benefits nobody, and I think Russia will come around, but I just hope it does before Trump’s frustration boils over and he decides no deal is in place, which would mean billions more for Ukraine in aid.